


The Man that had to Swing

by Mthaelly



Series: Extracts of One Poem [2]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Yah finished it, set between Avengers and Dark world, think so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 08:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14712710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mthaelly/pseuds/Mthaelly
Summary: And twice a day he smoked his pipe,And drank his quart of beer:His soul was resolute, and heldNo hiding-place for fear;He often said that he was gladThe hangman's hands were near.





	The Man that had to Swing

**Author's Note:**

> As the tags say, it's set between the first Avengers and the DarkWorkd. I'm experimenting using bits and pieces of the poem as compliants to some snapshots of scene between or in the movies.  
> Hope it doesn't suck much, haha.

  
_He walked amongst the Trial Men_  
_In a suit of shabby grey;_  
_A cricket cap was on his head,_  
_And his step seemed light and gay;_  
_But I never saw a man who looked_  
_So wistfully at the day._

Loki was to be brought back to Asgard, manacled and chained.  
With the addition of the metal gag, he had  
truly completed the look of a rabid, mad and wild thing. Thor stands, face to face with his gagged face, eyes bearing nothing as they turned the handles of the Tesseract wordlessly. For Loki could not speak and Thor had no wish for words with him.  
It is only but a moment in that instantaneous flash of the cube's power, whence once activated blue lights flashes around them, encasing them in some semblance of an unseen bridge. Sending them away in a few, silent seconds to another awaiting place.  
The silence in that moment was surreal as moments before both had been at each other's neck, the city and skyscrapers tumbling onto screaming hordes of people. Armies of aliens unknown wreaking havoc and their commander, the gagged Loki himself,there a mocking conqueror.  
But now Loki was cuffed, his hands brought down in front of him, his pale translucent skin gleaming in reflection of the blue light. His hair, untamed and coarse; his eyes two pools of such strangeness that the latter is convinced he had never known him.

This is not Loki, he thinks.

There is no spare love for a madman and his schemes.

Thor doesn't look at him, and Loki stares down into the contained cube in the short span of that eerily quiet moment,his slanted eyes half-lidded in unknown contemplation.  
His eyes gleam green, but Thor doesn't see.

They don't speak.

Momments later, they are standing on firm ground and encased by light no longer.

_I only knew what hunted thought_  
_Quickened his step, and why_  
_He looked upon the garish day_  
_With such a wistful eye;_  
_The man had killed the thing he loved_  
_And so he had to die._  
  


The cube sends them back, but not directly in front of the golden gates.  
  
They appear as suddenly as they have left, in the middle of a forest. Thor regonizes this place with familiarity. He burries the ache that comes with it. Loki stands behind as they materialised, unmoving.  
Thor is weary, temper short and emotions repressed.

" Move." He says.

He does not turn to look at him but tugs on his chain, yanking him into movement. It feels like pulling a statue at first, but Loki seethes under the gag and yanks back. Thor doesn't stumbles the slightest.  
They walk in silence, the sounds of the autumn forest filling the tensioned air.  
Thor hears the sound of a spring distantly and is suddenly brought to awares of his parched throat.

_Brother, brother look over there!_

Loki:s chain is tightly coiled around his wrist when Thor bends down to drink from the little nook. Loki glares from the back, his eyes piercing a deep hatred into his hunched back but Thor doesn't acknowledge it.  
There is a light autumn sun dancing on the surface of the little nook of water, the body of clear fluid flowing gently along in peaceful tranquility. As he scoops up some water with his scratched palms, he picks up something else too.

_I'm saving up to buy the festival treats, we can eat them together when mother isn't looking._

Asgardian coins are long lasting and do not rust.  
Thor kneels rooted to the ground , the coin gently sliding across his palm, its surface altogether still pristine and new.

_Why hide it here Loki? People don't stuff coins in springs brother._

_That is why, you oaf, no one will come looking._

Thor doesn't remember if they had managed to sneak treats. But he remembers clearly a young Loki pouring the coins into the water, young fingers burying them in the wet earth of the water-churned stream.  
Thor digs into the earth then, unearthing coins of small sum, kept hidden all those years ago.  
He sees the reflection of Loki, simmering in the waters of the stream, his back to him; his stance rigid.

_You are so sneeky brother._

_I know, you big bull._

His eyes sting. The reflection of Loki blurs but Thor can see his turning head,turning to face upwards into the sky; imagines his roving eyes, gleaming green in the sunlight, searching amongst the autumn trees. Eyes he did not see, eyes he fears, that will not look to him; not anymore.

_I see a bird, a little robin flying amongst the autumn leaves, flying carelessly free._

_I don't see it Loki._

_Neither do I, but I hear its flutterings wings against the blue sky._

He considers Loki's situation for a moment, surely he must be thirstier still. Thor does not know if he ate all at on Earth, can neither see his parched lips nor the pallor of his skin but maybe he can imagine it.  
He looks the sky and sees no bird flying carelessly by.

_I don't think I could brother._

The coin plops back into the waters of the spring, sinking into the wet earth once more. Thor takes a sip or two more.  
He yanks the chains again, Loki stumbles a little; Thor cannot see his eyes.

" Move, don't make me wait."

Loki trails behind, and Thor imagines him looking at the orange sky.

_The little robin flew from its nest, and I see nor hear it no longer, but I imagine still._

They reach the gates soon after. Thor hands him over to the Warriors Three, who yanks even  rougher at his chains.

Thor leaves.  
Loki spares a glance to the sky before he moves begrudgingly.

They do not see each other again for a while.

_He does not die a death of shame_  
_On a day of dark disgrace,_  
_Nor have a noose about his neck,_  
_Nor a cloth upon his face,_  
_Nor drop feet foremost through the floor_  
_Into an empty place_

The palace and it's golden spirals remain as stagnant as ever. The hustle and bustle never changing for as long as Thor could remember.  
Thor could never had remember too well though.

For the past weeks, Loki had been the least poignant thought in his mind. He kept himself most of the time occupied with things here and there, never letting his thoughts settle for too long.  
For fears where it will wander, where it will always wander to still.

Loki is no longer his brother, so himself said.

I should grant him the same courtesy.

Thor bears this in mind as he pushes thoughts of Loki away. He knows, oh he knows if he let himself settle too long, linger a bit further, he will crumple beneath the ugliness of his words; their words altogether.

So he smiles and does not linger.

" Thor," the voice of his mother calls one day.  
He turns. " Mother."  
Her hands wring in front her dress as she eyes him and he feels small suddenly, the anger behind well concealed eyes felt thoroughly by him.  
" Loki will have his trial tommorow, maybe even his sentencing." And Thor can sees her eyes soften in sadness.  
" Won't you take him from his cell?"

Oh Mother knows I have not , purposely not seen him. Thor adds, how could she not?  
He doesn't disobeys his mother, so he will honour his quiet ' yes' to her on the 'morrow.

Thor descends the stairs to the holding cells, guards on his tail.  
They stop in front of one of the cells, unlocks it; Thor enters.

Loki doesn't even spare him a glance.

Thor doesn't really need to yank him to move like before, but in fact yanks him to stop. For Loki moves, serpentine and sleek, sparing a glance to nothing; eyes staring ahead, seething, glaring. Thor can feel impatience oozing off him, his teeth grinding in defiant anger behind the metal gag, words waiting to be unleashed unto unfortunate ears.

They wait for the opening of the doors in the silence of the waiting room.  
  
Time had not seemed to stretch even longer and Thor fumbles for something, anything to get a grip on.  
He looks to Loki in a moment of careless want.  
Loki stares ahead, eyes determined: unseeing to Thor standing beside him.  
Thor's heart twist and cringes at the thought, that Loki had truly taken his words before to heart. Sparing not even a disdainful sneer at him in respite.  
For himself, the oaf, the brute who had thought he had taken the words to his heart too.  
  
A sudden rush of anger overwhelms him and the accompanying childish need makes him forcefully turn Loki around and tear off his gag.

" Well?! You can speak now!"  
Loki looks at him now, but it feels as hollow as ever.  
Thor hurts, and he shouts louder to demand an answer.  
" Aren't you going to spit back at me for capturing you? Berate me for my bull- headednes, and tell me I was a fake and terrible brother!?"  
Thor grabs by the collar, mind reeling; desperate for anything.

_Ah, alright brother!_

" You're not my brother and yes, you were terrible and just as cruel."

Thor crumples and sags.  
Loki grabs his loosening grip on his collar with spindly fingers.  
  
"And I would pay my debts in Hel sooner than to speak to you again."

The door opens, and Loki pulls himself away disdainfully, legs and arms still chained and stalks down to the grim, awaiting hall.

Thor does not follow.  
He weeps instead.

 _And strange it was to see him pass_  
_With a step so light and gay,_  
_And strange it was to see him look_  
_So wistfully at the day,_  
_And strange it was to think that_ he  
_H_ ad _such a debt to pay._  
  
  
  
  
  


 


End file.
